Dear Diary: August 8, 2007

Entry By: Gabriella
“Hello world! This is Gabriella Espinal. I have to tell you that something very exciting happened todayÖ Do you know what it was??? The very first day of Get SSET: Sports Science, Engineering and Technology 4 day long camp, and boy was it super. I have learned so much and have made many new friends. The main project done today involved the 31 girls within this program to split up into 6 different groups and formulate ideas on how to create the ideal running show. The six shoes created had to follow important design factors which include performance, environment, cost, size, weight, aesthetics, maintenance, life/service, appearance/finish, materials, quality, and reliability to develop an amazing piece of footwear. I loved loved loved today and feel that I will be able to say that for the following days.”

Entry By: Miriam
“Today was so fun that I cannot describe it in words so I have to say it was fun to the hundredth power. Today began with an early registration and orientation. Then we had a fun but really long lesson about athletic shoes. We got to interview two triathletes. They were very informative and friendly. The food here is alright, not gourmet but not shabby pancake house style. We also got to go to the pool today, which was the best part of the day, because we really got to let loose with each other. Finally we resided to our dorms (which are comfortable and snug). All the girls are friendly and I can wait until the days to come.”

Entry By: Michelle
“Today I learned what type of shoes athletes are interested in. Triathletes prefer shoes that are flexible, comfortable, fast and light. They like shoes that are easy to slip on and off because in a race, time and speed are the keys to winning. They donít want to worry about taking a long time to put on a shoe because it could cost them the race. They also donít care too much about the durability of the shoes because sponsors will usually pay for the shoes, not them. The main items that athletes are interested in are: is this shoe going to help me run faster, will this shoe allow me to win the race, and how much time does it take to put this shoe on?”

Entry By: Ren
“I met some good friends today along with catching up with some old. We started out this morning with check-in and received our rooms. It was really exciting to meet so many teens interested in the same stuff I am. We said farewell to our parents after and important PowerPoint quickly introducing us to everyone. We walked over to our classroom and played and introductory game using dance. I canít dance, but it was really fun. We next learned a bit of needed information from Dr. Jani about triathletes and what they want in a shoe. We chose our teams, and I didnít know it at the time, but my best friends for the week, Brianna, Toni and Alyssa. We then designed our own triathlete running shoes. I think we proposed a good product, too. We got to interview Sergio and Amanda, real triathletes first though we had a buffet lunch. There was a great view! We got some down time and then four of us hung out. We got dinner (buffet again). After that we got to swim, but we left early because it was soooo cold. Overall, a really good day!”

Entry By: Alyssa
“What an exciting day it has been! Today was filled with new knowledge and lots of friends. The staff is really friendly. With the college level thinking, it makes me want to skip high school completely and head off to college. We learned the characteristics of an excellent running shoe for a triathlon athlete. We even got to design our own athletic shoes using the notes that we had from finding information on the internet. This really was a college experience. We even got to interview the athletes by asking them questions and using the answers to help with the design of the shoe. The buffets in the cafeteria are the best. No wonder some people have to move out of the dorms with all the food they are eating. After we ate, we presented our designs to Dr. Pallis and it was off to unpack. We had some time to unpack our belongings and meet our roommates. I have met many new girls that are interested in the same things as me. I met Brianna and Toni who were in my group for the shoe project. I know that even after Get SSET we will still be friends. Then thereís Ren who has been one of my friends from Guajoune Park Academy in Vista. After unpacking, we got to go to the pool. The pool was a lot of fun. We played Marco Polo, Sharks and Minnows, and Red Light Green Light. We all had a lot of fun. But we had to get out of the pool early because it got too cold around 8:00pm. It was fun though. And later we all go to hang out with out friends and watch movies. This Get SSET program will be an opportunity that I will never forget.”

Entry By: Karissa
“Today I moved into my dorm. We also played an icebreaker game where everyone had to make up a dance move and you had to repeat everyoneís move who went before you. It was really hard to remember everyoneís names and dance move. Luckily I was near the beginning. I learned all about shoes and the importance of the materials and how the different things affect the quality and ability to run. After lunch, we interviewed two triathletes to get their point of view on shoes. Theyíre named Amanda and Sergio. Theyíre professional runners. I learned that the lighter the shoe, the faster you go. Sometimes a 100th of a second can make a difference. To save time the runners donít wear socks. This can lead to blisters on their feet. Also durability isnít important to them. Next we got into groups and designed a shoe. My group was with Amanda, Tiffany and Morgan. We designed a shoe. Our shoe had adjustable Velcro straps, EVA padding, arch support, very good flexibility, forefoot gripping, outer sole gripping all over and meshing which is water resistant. Also the shoe had drainage holes at the bottom to let out water or sweat to reduce the weight. We called our creation Slo-Go and had a snail logo. I met new people too. Such as Amanda, Morgan, Tiffany, Erica, Damaris, Claudia and Tammy. At the end of the day, we went for a refreshing swim in the pool. It was a very exciting day and I learned a lot.”

Entry By: Amanda
“Today we learned everything there is to know about designing a triathleteís running show. We ìtook a classî after our icebreaker game/dance about how to apply engineering design methodology to designing a triathleteís running show. I learned a lot about engineering methodology. I also learned about how important the components in the athleteís shoe affect his/her running, and since hundredths of seconds can be the difference between 1st and 2nd place, the components in the shoe are very important. After learning about shoe components we were allowed to research different types of running shoes to gather ideas and new information for our groupís shoe design. After we researched we started to design our shoe. This took careful planning so we could consider all the good characteristics like flexibility, durability, stability, traction, as well as comfort. It took a while but we finally designed our shoe: the Slo-Go. The rest of the day we spent hanging out with our newfound friends we made. After dinner we went swimming and showered. Today I met many new friends including Karissa, Morgan and Tiffany, as well as learning about engineering and how it applies to running shoes."

Entry By: Katie
“Today was my first day at Get SSET and it was really exciting! SoÖwe got here, were oriented, then we said goodbyes to our parents, then the games began, not really. Our first task was to design a shoe for a triathlete that would be super-fast to put on. My group called our shoe Digiuno, which means fast in Italian. Then we went to dinner after presenting. Then afterward we went to the pool and it was super fun. So far Get SSET has been an awesome experience!"